Days of the Marauders
by Force1
Summary: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are in their fifth year as they become masters of the castle, outsmart a greasy haired sneak, and start their full moon exploits. This isn't a strict James and Lilly romance story. No spoilers. Part 2 up!
1. Part 1

This is a fan fic I wrote shortly after finishing Half-Blood Prince. It's just a story about the Marauders (Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs) and thier exploits at school. Enjoy and leave some feedback! Feedback is the only thing that keeps me writing.

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**Days of the Marauders  
**_Part 1_

James Potter hurtled down the spiral staircase as fast as his feet would allow knocking down a pair of second year Ravenclaw girls when he reached the bottom. Without so much as a word of apology, he darted for the front doors which were standing wide open to reveal a darkening sunset on the grounds. The second he passed through the doors, he stood on the front lawn and looked around. James surveyed the grounds with excitement. It was a beautiful fall evening. Students were scattered everywhere on the grounds enjoying what was left of what had been quite the enjoyable Saturday. Most were moving now toward the oak front doors to go inside and back to the dormitories. As a pair of attractive fifth year Hufflepuffs walked past him into the entrance hall, James brushed back his untidy black hair with his hand in an attempt to make it look windswept. The girls gave him an interested look and walked into the hall, breaking into giggles once they thought they were out of earshot. James grinned and looked back on the grounds.

He snapped back to attention remembering what he needed to do and dashed forward into the grounds. His hazel eyes darted back and forth as if trying to count all those who were watching him. Being one of the most popular students in school wasn't the best thing when your trying to do something in secret. He headed in the direction of the lake at almost a sprint. He lifted his head up as he ran to look at the sunset. The sun was almost set, he needed to hurry. Then, he came to it. A beach tree standing on the edge of the lake. He doubled over to catch his breath. A voice came from around the other side of the tree.

"Your late, Potter." said the voice.

A very handsome boy with long black hair came walking from around the tree, watching James highly amused.

"Shut up, Sirius." James retorted. He stood up straight having caught his breath and looked at his friend. "I got caught up with something."

"Something?" said Sirius mockingly, "Or someone?"

"Both, really." James replied.

"Still wont go out with you, will she? Sirius said smiling.

"One day." James said in a dreamy state. "But then, I couldn't find the cloak."

"You didn't bring it?" Sirius asked, shocked.

"No, I have it." said James pulling out a silvery cloak from the inside of his robes and unfolding it. "But it toke me forever to find it."

"Well," Sirius said accusingly, "maybe if you tried to clean up your side of the dormitory on occasion…"

James gave him a hard look but Sirius simply returned it with a smile. Soon, a smile of his own spread across James' face. Sirius moved his head around and examined the grounds.

"What about Wormtail?" he asked.

"Didn't see him." James replied. "Think he's gotten cold feet again?"

"Probably." Sirius said.

Sirius sat down on the ground and James followed. The two sat for a few minutes talking about random things as the sun set even further. The grounds were beginning to empty completely. There were only a few people left. A boy and girl were sitting around the edge of the lake further from James and Sirius, a group of small second years were laughing loudly as they made their way back to the castle, and a burly seventh year was standing at the doors the castle apparently doing nothing.

"Those two better get moving." said Sirius gesturing to the couple sitting by the lake. "Madam Pomfrey will get upset again if there are to many out and about when she brings him down."

"Yeah." James said looking at the sky. "Where is Wormtail?"

But at that moment, a boy came hurtling through the front doors making the seventh year boy jump. He ran towards the edge of the lake and the tree James and Sirius were stationed under. When he got there, he doubled over panting just as James had done.

"It's about time, Wormtail." Sirius said menacingly.

"Sorry," Wormtail squealed. "But I had that detention with Flitwick, remember."

"Oh that's right." James said comprehension taking hold. "For trying to use a summon charm to steal Marcus Tilgup's homework."

"Yeah," Sirius said, amused "That was a right good piece of magic you know."

"Sending the books Flitwick was standing on flying out the window." James finished, laughing.

"Stop laughing!" Wormtail said, angrily. "I would have pulled it off if-"

"If you were a competent wizard". Sirius finished.

Wormtail glared at him. But, just as James had done, his look of anger was replaced with a smile. Wormtail sat down next to Sirius checking the sky like the others had. Sirius checked his watch.

"We've got about fifteen or so minutes" Sirius said.

"Plenty of time." James said quietly.

"So, I saw Snape on the way down." Wormtail said matter of factly.

"Really?" said Sirius who seemed generally interested. "And what was old Snivilus up to?

"Couldn't tell." Wormtail said, trying to remember. "But McGonagall was telling him off for snooping around the hospital wing when he shouldn't have been."

"After hours, probably." James said. "But what would he be doing hanging around there?"

"Probably trying to spy on Moony." Sirius said angrily. "That's where he goes beforehand, right?"

"Yeah," James answered "Pomfrey gives him stuff for the pain before she brings him down."

"That sounds just like Snivilus…" Sirius said, disgusted.

"Yeah, I know." James said with equal disgust.

"Oh! And, I got something for you, Prongs." said Wormtail "I only just remembered. Well, when you gave it to her, well, you left so fast, she couldn't thank you so she told me to give it to you."

"Yeah?" James said looking up expectedly

"Yeah." Wormtail said.

He pulled out from his pocket a small necklace with a note attached to it. Wormtail handed it to James who toke it and opened the note quickly. Scrawled across the note in writing he immediately recognized as Lilly's was the message "Not on your life, Potter". James' smile faded. He stored the necklace back in his pocket, crumpled up the note and threw it in the lake.

"What?" asked Sirius?

"Nothing." said James quickly.

"No it isn't." Sirius said suspiciously. "What did she write?"

"Nothing!" James repeated angry.

"Accio Note!" shouted Sirius who had his wand out. The note James had just thrown to the water soared back up and into Sirius' outstretched hand. James leapt forward to try and take it but Sirius was to fast for him. Sirius leapt to his feet and stepped back ask James landed on his face on the ground. Wormtail got to his feet too and looked over Sirius' shoulder to read the note. Both started snickering as James' expression turned sour.

"Shot down again, eh Prongs?" said Sirius loudly.

"Shut up!" James retorted. "I don't see you with any type of date either!"

"I could have any girl in this school." Sirius said, retaking his seat on the grass as James moved back into his own. "I just choose not to."

"Sure." James said as Wormtail sat down again beside Sirius.

"I'm serious." said Sirius.

"Yes, we all know your name." said James slyly. Wormtail started laughing so hard, he fell backward.

"Oh, shut up!" Sirius said though he couldn't contain his grin either. "You know, you could probably have your pick of girls too. But, instead, you choose to cling to Lilly Evans. Your just to stubborn, Prongs."

"Yeah, I know." James said pulling his wand out from his pocket.

"What do we have planned for tonight?" Wormtail asked expectedly.

"Don't know." said James flicking his wand. A group of rocks sitting beside the lake floated into the air. With a flick of his wand, James sent the first one flying off over the edge of the lake. It flew as in an graceful arc and splashed down out in the distant water.

"Maybe we could leave the house tonight." Sirius sad slyly. James and Wormtail stared at him. Wormtail looked shocked that anyone could think of something so crazy. James seemed to be thinking about it very hard.

"Out? Of the house?" Wormtail whimpered. "But, what if he? I mean, what if we didn't?"

"It isn't as if we can't keep hold of him." Sirius said in reply. His eyes were starting to get a gleam that Wormtail had seen before and knew that it never meant anything good. "We've been able to handle him fine. Maybe a scratch or to but…"

"But this isn't just like keeping a dog on a leash!" Wormtail replied.

"Yeah, but, we can deal with him. Make sure he doesn't go near any people, you know." Sirius said thoughtfully.

"But we haven't got enough experience with him…" Wormtail pleaded.

"We've done this twice before." Sirius said. "That old house gets kind of boring after a while."

"I don't know…" Wormtail said. "I suppose if we kept a real close eye on…"

"That's the spirit!" Sirius said clapping Wormtail on the back so hard he fell face forward on the ground. "What about you, Prongs? What do you think?"

James was looking out at the lake, his stones still floating over the edge. He thought about it. He had to agree with Sirius, that old house was rather boring after a while. But were they up to the task? Could he, Sirius, and Wormtail really keep something as vicious as that under leash? What if someone got hurt, it would be their fault. It was a rather big risk. But then, just like every time before, a reckless daring toke hold. "It'll be fine" he told himself. "Come on, it'll be fun." A grin spread across James' face.

"Prongs?" Sirius repeated snapping James back to reality.

"Yeah." said James, the same gleam as Sirius' in his eye now, "It'll be loads of fun."

"Well, I suppose it could be fun. As long as we don't mess up." Wormtail said.

"Mess up?" Sirius said shocked "Since when have we ever messed up?"

"Well, there was that time when you tried to mix that love potion in under your bed. I can still smell it in the dormitory."

"Yeah, well.." said Sirius. And Wormtail and Sirius began batting back and forth the different times Sirius had messed up in the past. James flicked his wand a few more times sending his levitating rocks into the lake. His mind teaming with ideas about what to do tonight. Leaving the house was going to be truly fun, he could tell. But how wouldMoony take it? Would he think it to dangerous? "Danger should be your middle name." said a voice in James' head. This was true, of course. Becoming an unregistered Animagus was not something normal school children did every day and, as James well knew, he and his friends were anything but normal.

James flicked the last of his rocks onto the lack surface and looked around once more. Darkness was coming fast. James got to his feet, pulling up the invisibility cloak he still had.

"It's almost time." James said, checking his watch,

"Yeah." Sirius said, getting to his feet. We'd better get into position. Wormtail, there isn't room for you in here. You'll just have to-"

But Sirius broke off. He was looking at where Wormtail had been standing but he wasn't there. Instead, a black rat now sat in the ground where Wormtail had been standing moments before. Sirius bent low and picked up the rat, placing him safely in his pocket.

"Show off" James said, smiling.

"Your one to talk." Sirius retorted.

James smiled again and looked around the grounds once more. The couple on the lake side had gone, James could not see where. The group of second years was just now disappearing through the doorway to the entrance hall. The seventh year boy was still standing in the doorway but was not looking in their direction but up at the tops of the trees of the Forbidden Forest. James, not taking the time to worry what the boy may be looking at, lifted the cloak and draped it over his head. Sirius groped at the air until he found the cloak in his hand, lifted it up, and joined James underneath.

"Shall we go then?" James asked.

"Yeah, lets move" Sirius said in an unneeded whisper.


	2. Part 2

**Days of the Marauders  
**_Part 2_

James and Sirius moved quickly under the cloak. There were was no one left on the grounds and no point in trying to keep quiet. They only needed to make sure no one saw them if they were to look out one of the castle's windows. Neither of them spoke, both to excited at the aspect of another night's adventure. The only sound other than their footsteps on the grass was the squeaking of Wormtail in Sirius' pocket. Sirius turned his head to look up at the castle as they moved. He spoke in the same unneeded whisper.

"Where are they?" he asked, "They're usually out by now."

"I'm not sure." James said, "Maybe, Pomfrey got held up."

"Or maybe-"

But Sirius stopped speaking when he saw two new figures appear in the doorway, silhouetted in the light coming from the Great Hall. A boy their age looking very sick and disheveled and an older woman looking severe and annoyed.

"There they are." Sirius said, not whispering anymore, "Moony doesn't look like he's enjoying himself."

"He told me that the potion Pomfrey gives him gave him an upset stomach." James replied watching Madam Pomfrey telling the Slytherin seventh year off and ordering him back into the castle.

Moony and Pomfrey moved onto the grounds and headed for the same tree James and Sirius were moving closer to so quickly. Pomfrey's face was angry and annoyed. It was not unusual to see her annoyed but there was something clearly upsetting her now. Moony, on the other hand, looked weak and sick. He could barely keep up with the quick strides of Madam Pomfrey who seemed to be determined to reach the tree quickly.

"We should probably get there before they do, this time." James said.

"Yeah." Sirius replied, "Pomfrey stood guard there a full 30 minutes before walking away last time."

James and Sirius quickened their pace to almost a run, Wormtail squeaking loudly in Sirius' pocket. James stared up at the sky again. The sun had almost completely set, the time would soon be upon them. Pomfrey was really cutting it close tonight. It wasn't like her to be late. What could have been holding her up in the hospital wing? James and Sirius reached the large tree and stood in the shadow it cast in the setting sun. Both James and Sirius looked at it for a moment and made sure to keep a safe distance. James looked over his shoulder and saw, to his relief, that Pomfrey had stopped moving and was now standing over Moony, who seemed to have stopped to catch his breath or to vomit, James couldn't tell.

"Alright, Wormtail." Sirius said, reaching into his pocket and pulling the fat, black rat out, "Get moving. And fast."

With a loud squeak of understanding, Wormtail leapt from Sirius' hand and landed on the ground. He ran underneath the cloak and darted straight for the trunk of the tree. Immediately, the branches of the tree sprang to life. A large branch came crashing down to where Wormtail was running, but he was ready. Wormtail flipped his small body over and rolled out of the way. Regaining himself, he got to his four feet and continued his dash to the trunk. The tree threw another branch at him but missed. Three more branches came flying at the black rat but they all missed. The tree was having trouble hitting something so small. Wormtail finally reach his goal just as he jumped left to avoid another falling branch. He leapt up onto the side of the tree's trunk. He used his claws and dug into the tree's side, climbing up it a little ways until he found a large knot. He lifted one of his small paws off the tree's side and place it on the knot and pushed. The tree froze, immediately. Not a branch or a leaf moved at all.

"Excellent." said James.

"Not a moment to soon, either." said Sirius looking over his shoulder. Pomfrey and Moony were only a few yards away.

James and Sirius ran forward with the cloak draped safely over them, ducking around the branches held low in mid attack. They stopped at the trunk and found an opening between the roots. Making sure not to let the cloak slip off, the two dropped into it quietly. James and Sirius landed in a dark under-ground passage illuminated slightly by the dieing light pouring in from the opening. James turned around and looked back up through the it.

"Ok, Wormtail!" he called up quietly.

The fat black rat fell down into the opening and landed with a dull thud at James' feet. Suddenly, the rat was gone and the human form of Wormtail stood before James again.

"Good work." James said clapping Wormtail in the back.

"Lets go." Sirius said, drawing his wand, "Lumos!"

A light sprang to life at the end of Sirius' wand which he pointed down the dark passage. James and Wormtail did the same and suddenly, the passage was filled with the light from the three wands. Sirius began running down the passage, Wormtail followed eagerly. James toke one more look up through the opening and saw the branches of the tree flailing again. Pomfrey must have reach the tree and was now attempting to stop it. A grin ran across James's as he turned and ran after Sirius and Wormtail, wand held out to illuminate the path.

"We finally got our timing right, I think." James said catching up to his two friends.

"Yeah." Sirius replied, "Anything's better than the first time."

"Yeah," said James, remembering their first time they did this. They hadn't planned ahead very much. They had still been waiting in the dormitory before Pomfrey had taken Moony to the tree. Then, things got worse when they were almost discovered by the caretaker in the corridors on the way down. It had been a full 3 hours before they were able to join Moony. Then, on their second time, they hadn't planned on Pomfrey standing guard at the tree for a while before going back to the castle. They had had to wait under the cloak till she left before going down the passage. This time, though, they had planned ahead. They would be in the house before Moony got there to ensure optimum amounts of time to enjoy themselves. These nights were far to short for all four of them.

"So," said Wormtail, speaking up, "why was Pomfrey so late?"

"Don't know." James answered, "But it must be something big."

"Yeah," said Sirius, "ol' Pomfrey's never been late before."

"What would have held her up?" James asked, thinking hard.

"Maybe someone put Skelo-Grow in the bottles of cough potion again." Wormtail said, laughing.

"That someone was me." James said with a grin, looking at Wormtail. Wormtail returned a look of admiration.

"Snape." said Sirius quietly. He stop running and stood still in the middle of the passage, thinking. James and Wormtail stopped running and looked back at him. Sirius was lost in thought. James and Wormtail looked at each other. James knew what was coming, it had happened so many times before. Sirius was about to go on another rant about Snivilus Snape. Sirius had never liked Snape and nor had James. It was common Hogwarts knowledge that James and Snape loathed each other. They never missed a chance to trade insults or, if they could, spells. Most of the teachers knew never to let them sit close to each other for fear a duel would erupt. Neither seemed to be even slightly effected by punishment, either. But, James' hate of Snape was nothing more than a rivalry between them. James hated Snape for no reason other than that Snape was dirt in his eyes. Snape, it was assumed, hated James out of jealously. And that was all there was between them. Sirius, on the other hand, had always thought of Snivilus as the cause of all trouble. Sirius's spite for that greasy haired creep was so large that he would place him at the center of any problem. If something of his went missing, Sirius would somehow (and it was quite a mystery to James how exactly) he would find a way to blame it on Snape.

"What about Snivilus?" James asked, apprehensively.

"Didn't Wormtail say that McGonagall was telling Snape off for snooping around the hospital wing?" Sirius said.

"Yeah." James said, comprehension dawning. "Yeah, that's right."

James whirled around to face Wormtail. "What was Snape doing in the hospital wing? Did McGonagall say?" he asked loudly.

"No." Wormtail replied, quickly, "I didn't hear Snape say anything. All I herd was McGonagall shouting about being where he wasn't supposed to be. I was in to much of a hurry to get down here."

"Oh come on, Wormtail!" said James loudly so it echoed in the passage. "You should have stayed to find out what! That's the kind of thing you need to spy on!"

"Yeah, haven't we taught you anything?" Sirius said just as loudly as James.

"Sorry!" Wormtail squealed in an alarming rat-like fashion, "I had no idea!"

"Snape. He must have been spying on Moony! He must've!" roared Sirius.

"That slime ball." James said with hate vibrating in his voice, his fist clenched so tight, they turned red.

"Then Pomfrey found him and got distracted from her duties with Moony to shout at him. That's why she was late." Sirius finished.

"Well," Wormtail said slowly trying to make sure it was OK for him to speak again. "What are we gonna do about it?"

"We're gonna teach that slug a lesson!" bellowed Sirius, "That's what we're gonna do! We'll make him pay for trying to stick his big nose in our business."

"Yeah." James replied walking forward and giving Sirius a high-five, "No little grease sack messed with us!"

"That's right!" shouted Wormtail who only seemed to pitch in to remind the other two he was there.

"Hope I'm not interrupting." said a weak voice from the darkness of the corridor, "but the moon is coming up."

James, Sirius, and Wormtail all jumped. James regained his composure first, lifted his lit wand and pointed it into the darkness. His wand illuminated a face as pale as a ghost. The sick boy walked forward slowly and with difficulty.

"Moony!" shouted Sirius, "You made it! We were gonna' meet you at the house but- Moony?"

"Remus, are you alright?" asked James, concerned.

Remus walked forward to his friends and grunted, weakly. He was grabbing his stomach as if it was causing him great pain. His robes were covered in more dirt than usual, as if he'd fallen a few times on his way down. And, sure enough, he fell to his knees at James' feet. The three friends gathered around him as he sat on the ground, doubled over in pain.

"Remus," James said, worried, "are you OK?"

"Obviously," Remus replied, weakly "I'm not. The pain killer potion Madam Pomfrey usually gives me before hand gives me pains in my stomach but these are extreme. Stronger than usual."

"Maybe it was a bad potion." Wormtail chipped in.

"Or maybe she did it wrong." James said, thinking.

"Or maybe," Sirius added, "Snape actually snuck in and-"

"No," Remus interrupted, speaking as if every word caused him a little pain, "I think James is right. In the middle of preparing the potion, there was a crash in the back room. Madam Pomfrey walked away to investigate. I herd her screaming at someone and she didn't come back to finished working on the potion. Then I herd McGonagall shouting too. A little while later, Pomfrey returned and she was upset but didn't say why. She gave me the potion not thinking that maybe she had let it sit to long. She was really mad."

"Tainted potion." James said, "Snape. That pile of rat droppings!"

"Hey!" Wormtail squealed.

"Oh, sorry, Wormtail." James said, quickly.

"If he hadn't been trying to spy," Sirius said, his angry growing, "Pomfrey wouldn't have been distracted and wouldn't have-"

"I'm sure," Remus interrupted again, his voice fading in the pain, "that I would love to hear your thoughts on the situation but the moon has almost risen."

"Oh, right." Sirius said, his anger fading.

"Can you walk?" asked James.

"I'm sure," Remus said, "that the pain will subside once I transform but I feel we should be in the house when that happens."

"Right." said James, grabbing Remus' arm and hoisting him into his feet, "OK, Sirius, grab his other arm and we'll carry him the rest of the way. Wormtail, you lead and light the path."


End file.
